Crossroads
by MintxXx
Summary: This takes place after Kurosaki Isshin saves Masaki and is confined to the Real World/ Karakura Town, living in a gigai and as a human. Not long after he sets up the Kurosaki clinic with the help of Urahara, he meets an unexpected visitor…
1. Chapter 1

The time period between when the Visoreds were exiled into the Real World and when Kurosaki Isshin lived in Karakura Town overlaps so this fic expands on the possibility that these two groups may have met; but in their 'human' form, unaware of both parties' real identities...

* * *

Shinji sighed as he trudged along the paved road. There was still a long way to go to the clinic. Just a few decades ago, this distance would have been nothing using Shunpo. But being in the Real World meant living as a human and being exiled just mere decades ago meant that the Visoreds had to lie low.

Unconsciously, Shinji scratched his head, wincing sharply and immediately recoiling his hand away from the massive bruise on his head. The pain made him dimly aware of other dull aches radiating from other parts of his body. That damn Hiyori… How was he supposed to know that she was changing? Yes maybe he should have knocked first but… She could have put up a sign or something! Anyways it was not like that monkey had any assets to show. On hindsight though, he regretted voicing out that last thought which provoked Hiyori to charge towards him at blinding speed, murderously swatting him with her slippers.

Shinji groaned as he dragged his battered body to a clinic. Normally, Kidou would have been able to heal the wounds and bruises in mere seconds, however, the use of it was forbidden as it can alert any Shinigami in the area to their presence. Hachi was working on a barrier that could mask their reiatsu and cover the whole base but it was still far from perfect. As a result, such injuries sustained on the gigai would have to be treated externally by a doctor. Shinji could have just ignored the bruises and let them heal naturally, but the smirks and laughter from the other Visoreds were more than he could handle.

"The Kurosaki clinic eh? Never seen that one before." Shinji stopped in front of the clinic, contemplating whether he should enter. The original clinic that he was headed to was at least 10 minutes more away and he was sure that no matter how absent-minded the doctor there was, he would have some suspicions and doubts about Shinji 'falling down the staircase' almost every week. Ultimately, Shinji was simply too lazy and decided to enter the newly established clinic.

A bell tinkled as Shinji opened the door, signalling his arrival.

"Welcome!" A beautiful, blonde-haired woman immediately rushed in from an adjacent room and clumsily bowed.

"Oya, oya, what's ya name angel?" Shinji flashed his signature lady-killer smile, leaning on the reception desk, carefully tilting his head at an exact angle, showing off his most dashing appearance.

"Masaki, sir!" Masaki cheerfully answered.

Shinji grabbed her hands. "Well Masaki-san! You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen! Would ya be my first and last love-"

"HEYYYYYY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH MY WIFE?!" A thunderous voice interrupted their conversation and a man launched in with a flying kick, sending Shinji tumbling towards the wall.

"ISSHIN KUROSAKI! WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU ARE DOING TO THE PATIENT?" Masaki shouted at her husband.

"Tch. All the beautiful women are all taken, huh?" Shinji grumbled as he picked himself up, dusting himself at the same time.

As Shinji tidied himself, all of a sudden, he heard the unmistakable sound of a brutal slap. Moments later, Isshin Kurosaki appeared by Shinji's side, rubbing his cheek, which sported a new bright red handprint. Sheepishly, he held out his hand, shamefully hanging his head and muttered out an apology.

"Erm, that kick just now, I am really sorry for that, I wasn't thinking and as an apology, our clinic would not charge you for today's fee"

Shinji grinned. Free things were always welcomed as earning money was a pain in the Living Realm.

"It's alright, such things happen eh? But imma take ya up on ta offer." Shinji gave a wide grin

Isshin led Shinji into the consultation room

"May I have your name?"

"Jishin Korahi, doc." Shinji replied smoothly. Although there was really no real need for him to give a fake name, Shinji simply enjoyed screwing around with others and besides, it made him more mysterious, fulfilling his role as an exiled Shinigami possessing strange powers.

"So, Jishin-san… I assume that the reason you are here…" Isshin gave Shinji a quick glance. "Are those bruises spanning your entire body."

"Yah, tripped over mah feet and landed on the bottom of the stairs." Shinji offhandedly commented.

"Right…" Isshin gave a questioning stare, clearly showing that he did not believe him. He then proceeded to examine Shinji, prodding at the bruises on his arms.

Shinji winced. "Ya could' ta be gentler."

"Well, if you were a beautiful woman, I would be!" Isshin shot back.

Shinji blinked in surprise, momentarily caught back. He then threw his head and laughed. "Yer don't hold back don't cha? Wonder how Masaki-chan became yer wife."

"Need any advice?" A wry smile appeared on Isshin's face.

"Just not in ta look departments, I'm sure my looks far surpass yer's." Shinji gave a crafty smile

"Looks like your 'looks' don't seem to appeal to others, seeing how you got beaten to a pulp by a girl?" Isshin commented in a mildly condescending, joking tone.

"… How ya know?"

"Those bruises have the faint outline of a slipper, a girl's slipper to be exact. And judging from the positioning of the bruises, it is too intentional for them to be simply caused by a fall. I'm a doctor you know." Isshin smugly explained. Although of course, it wasn't true that Isshin knew this from his limited experience as a doctor, but rather, his experience of being beaten by his vice-captain, Matsumoto, in the exact same way.

"Heh, ya got me." Shinji surrendered.

Their easy banter continued as Isshin applied some salve on the bruises before proceeding to Shinji's torso, where Isshin had landed his kick on. He felt a pang of guilt and a sense of trepidation as he lifted Shinji's shirt, only to be greeted by a small patch of discolouration on Shinji's stomach. Isshin stared in surprise; he had expected a bigger wound.

"Anythin' wrong, doc?"

"No, I… I just expected that it would be more serious, I'm quite strong y'know"

"When ya get beaten almost every day, ya develop a strong body ya know." Shinji gave a grin.

…

"Ya are an interestin' guy, if I had some time, I woul' have liked to know more about ya." Shinji held out his hand towards Isshin.

"I'm just an ordinary doctor of a humble clinic and you are welcome to come back anytime." Isshin smiled and shook Shinji's hand jovially.

Shinji replied with his trademark Cheshire smile and left the clinic.

After Shinji left the clinic, Isshin started recording his new patient's details on a card for future use.

"Heh that Urahara is rubbing off me huh?" Isshin muttered to himself. As he filled out 'Jishin Korahi's details, he found himself strangely enjoying the process, which was odd as Isshin hated paperwork ever since his captain days. No doubt it was an aftereffect of meeting a unique patient.

One thing bothered him though, even though it has been a few decades since Isshin have been a Shinigami, he was sure that his skills had not deteriorated much. When he saw Shinji holding Masaki's hands, he reacted unconsciously and did not hold back, putting his all into the kick. It was fleeting, but in that instantaneous moment, he caught a glimpse of Shinji's eyes flickering towards him and immediately taking a slight step back. When Isshin's foot made contact with Shinji's body, Shinji immediately pushed himself backwards, preventing Shinji from receiving the brunt of the kick, which was why he merely received a bruise from a kick that could have fractured several ribs. That sort of reaction was abnormal, and was only possible if one was highly proficient in the martial arts or… someone who has thoroughly honed his skill in Hakuda (hand-to-hand combat).

Isshin gave a snort and shook his head. What was he thinking? He is in the living world now and Shinigamis are a thing of the past as far as he was concerned in his current situation.

…

Shinji hummed as he made his way back. It was hard to find someone who clicked with him and was able to banter with him. It was indeed a pleasantly unexpected meeting

 _"I'm just an ordinary doctor of a humble clinic"_

Somehow the parting words that Isshin Kurosaki left him with gave a feeling of unease and familiarity. Where had he heard those words before…?

" _Hirako-san, I'm just an ordinary storekeeper of a humble shop now." Urahara Kisuke smiled, gesturing to the newly opened store behind him._

And it could have just been his imagination but, Shinji felt a tinge, just a tinge of reiatsu from Isshin when he was barrelling towards Shinji.

Shinji chuckled. Maybe he was just thinking too much. Being an exiled Shinigami obviously did not help in allaying his suspicions about the people he meets. However this time, Shinji shrugged off his suspicions and doubts; he had better things to do anyways.

* * *

If Shinji and Isshin had met, I feel that they would have a great time dicking around with each other

This is a little side project/story that I thought about when I was writing my other story. I'm thinking that this would span around 3-5 chapters? Ah and I can get easily distracted sometimes, so I may write other stories/ oneshots in the meantime between chapters so do please keep a lookout:)

Reviews are very much appreciated!:)


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you for all the favs, follows and reviews!**

I'm still quite an inexperienced writer so thank you so much for the encouragement!:)

* * *

The bell chimed as a man walked through the front door of the Urahara store.

'Sorry, we are closed for the day-' The owner of the store peeked out curiously, trying to identify the individual who had blatantly ignored the sign on the front door.

'Ah! Kurosaki-san!'

…

'Annnd… We are done, Kurosaki-san!' Urahara Kisuke smiled as he lowered himself onto a cushion. Isshin Kurosaki gave a grimace as he massaged his bum, where Urahara had jabbed his stick into.

'I'm still not exactly sure whether it is necessary for you to do that as part of the Gigai examination.'

'Of course, it's necessary Kurosaki-san! Why would I do it otherwise?' With a fluid motion, Urahara snapped open his fan, covering the bottom half of his face as a smirk formed.

'So… how are the kids?' Urahara leisurely sipped his tea.

'Same as usual. Yuzu and Karin are darlings, Ichigo though… He's still as stubborn as a mule.' Isshin gave a sigh, idly scratching his beard.

Fatherhood had indeed changed the man. Physically, it seemed that the man had aged although, in reality, Shinigamis do not change much in physical appearance. Bearing the responsibility of 3 young lives had changed Isshin more than that of the burden of leading his own squad.

'Thanks for your help Urahara-san. I… have something to attend to now.'

'Are you going to visit _her_ again?' Urahara lowered his voice nearly to a whisper as his tilted his trademark hat forward slightly, masking his grim expression.

Isshin's head turned back slightly. His eyes, averting Urahara's gaze, was downcast and distant.

'Hai…'

Urahara sighed as Isshin left. He knew how good-natured Isshin was. After all, who else would give up everything he had and leave the world he had known for his whole life just to save the life of a girl he had just met. Isshin Kurosaki was unlike any he had met, a genuinely kind and humble Shinigami but yet sensitive. However, recently, it was as if a dark shadow loomed over Isshin.

Urahara wanted to help, but everything he said seemed to simply fall on deaf ears. Urahara may be intelligent and quick-witted; however, in matters involving those of emotions, he was just as clueless as anyone. Only someone who had experienced something of the same scale could possibly empathise. And… Urahara knew someone by the name of Hirako Shinji who perfectly fit the bill.

To make things even better, Urahara knew that Isshin and Shinji had met, after spotting the familiar blonde in the former's clinic a couple of years ago, through the secret camera he had installed there (not used to spy on people, but just _to be safe_ , Urahara tried to justify himself when Yoruichi had coincidently walked by and clucked disapprovingly).

Urahara picked up the nearest phone and dialled a number.

'Ah, Hirako-san, could you please head to the Karakura cemetery, I picked up an abnormal Hollow reading, so could you check it out? Thanks~' Without even waiting for an answer, Urahara put down the phone.

…

'Hey wait! Kisuke!' Shinji shouted at the dead phone. That damn Urahara, couldn't he have gone there himself to check it out?

Left with no choice, Shinji jumped out of his window, landing gracefully on the ground. With inhuman strength, he pushed off and leapt onto a nearby roof. Under the veil of the night, he freely bounded and sailed over the buildings. Shinji couldn't help but grin, feeling the air rush past him was exhilarating and he quickened his pace as adrenaline coursed through his veins, arriving in the cemetery in no time. After landing on a tree branch, he cautiously lowered himself to the ground, scanning the vicinity.

Shinji closed his eyes and concentrated, feeling for any spiritual pulses. Weird, he couldn't sense anything. He sighed, either the Hollow had left already or the reading was wrong, which meant that Urahara had led him on a wild goose's chase. Not willing to make the trip back yet, Shinji decided to make a round around the cemetery.

It was a quiet night. After all, who in the right mind would visit the cemetery in the dead of the night? Even Shinji who walked beside death for most of his long life and knew the truth behind the afterlife had an unsettling feeling while walking amidst the rows of tombstones, protruding from the ground.

'May your souls be at peace.' Shinji whispered, despite knowing deep inside that only their physical bodies remained.

As Shinji neared the end of the cemetery, he gave a resigned sigh, finally accepting that the trip was a wasted one. Just as he was about to leap away from his current spot, he spotted movements at the edge of his vision. A dark silhouette then shuffled in from a nearby pathway, obscured by a couple of trees.

A soul? Shinji thought as he slowly withdrew his sword from its sheath, crouching slightly. It was not uncommon for souls to visit their own graves, in order to truly convince themselves that they were dead. Shinji silently made his way towards the figure, gripping the hilt of his sword, preparing to perform a Soul Burial on the soul. Despite being relieved of his Shinigami duties permanently after being exiled, Shinji was still innately a Shinigami and old habits die hard.

Just as Shinji was about to reveal himself, the 'soul' walked under the moonlight. However instead of the translucent, shimmering body that Shinji expected to see, the figure that greeted him was in fact very much real and familiar.

'Shit!' Shinji hastily pushed his sword back into the sheath, then immediately positioned it behind him, just moments before the figure turned his head.

'Jishin-san?'

'Doc?'

The two stared at each other with a mixture of surprise and astonishment.

'What are ya doing here-' Shinji hastily asked before Isshin directed the same question at him.

The look of shock was immediately replaced by a sombre one as Isshin shrugged, gesturing to the grave just opposite of them.

'Masaki-san?! How? I… I didn't- I'm sorry for yer loss.' Shinji stuttered, momentarily losing his cool as he stumbled to find the right words to say.

Isshin gave a croaky laugh, holding up both hands and waved furiously (albeit too furiously), as though wanting to wave Shinji's worries and Shinji away.

'I'm fine Jishin-san, I'm… coping.' Isshin tried to give a light-hearted laugh which however came out forced instead. His eyes shifted uneasily, and no matter how hard he tried, his eyes just refused to meet Shinji's ones.

Shinji recognised those eyes. Eyes that could not betray the deep depression that Isshin tried to conceal, eyes that couldn't even look straight into his own. And the dark circles under those hollow eyes plainly revealed the many sleepless nights, the nights that Isshin spent either in the cemetery or tossing and turning in his bed. Looking at Isshin's haggled appearance, Shinji realized, with a start, that it seemed all too familiar.

…

 _Shinji stared at the mirror._ _A trembling figure crouched in a corner of the desolate bedroom stared back. Was that him? That person with vacant eyes who was curled up so pathetically?_

 _He felt sick. He wanted to throw up. He wanted to escape (die)._

 _Every day was torture. The Hollow in his mind constantly ravaged through his mind, stirring up memories of_ _ **that**_ _night. He re-lived that moment every day. He could even remember the sequence now. Burning pain, flames engulfing his entire body, followed by the sensation of being stabbed, hundreds of times, again and again. And finally, the pain that he resented the most, the pain he felt as he tore through his friends, ripping them apart, into pieces.. pieces and pieces._

 _A sensible part of him yelled at Shinji to tell someone, anyone about his state, about how his Hollow vehemently resisted his domination. But Shinji could not bring himself to do it. The rest had enough on their plates and who was he to burden them when it was his entire fault that they were in this situation? His entire fault. His responsibility. He destroyed everything. Everything. None of this would have happened if he had raised his suspicions about Aizen to someone, anyone. His_ _ **own**_ _fucking lieutenant._

 _The other Visoreds did not blame him, but that only made things worse. Why couldn't they see that the cause of everything was him? Why didn't they despise him? Whywhywhy?_

 _Shinji couldn't breathe. He gasped for air frantically._

 _He was fine. Finefinefine. Shinji repeated it to himself like a chant. He cradled himself, burying his head in his knees, rocking to and fro._

 _He was fine._

…

'Yer are **not** fine.' Shinji blurted out, surprising himself.

Isshin stared at him uncomprehendingly.

'… ya blame yerself don't cha?'

'What do you-'

'I can see it in ya eyes.'

Isshin shifted uncomfortably, trying to avoid Shinji's grey eyes which seemed to bore straight into his soul. Up till now, many friends and people who had tried to comfort him were usually uneasy and steered clear of any mention of Masaki and the incident. But, Shinji was offering none of those.

'Yer can't go on like this doc. Yer can't pretend everything is okay. That wound will only fester in ya and one day, it will hurt everyone around ya.' Isshin looked up, only to be met with Shinji's pale grey eyes. Unlike other times though, Shinji's eyes no longer possessed the cheeky twinkle. It was instead replaced with a forlorn and wistful gaze, the eyes of someone who understood his pain, who held much wisdom.

'You don't understand. If… If I had been there, Masaki- she would not have…' Isshin closed his eyes, recalling the vivid memory of that night. The lifeless eyes, the limp, cold body, her radiant brown hair strewn messily on the ground, matted and stained by the crimson red blood oozing out...

'But ya weren't there and ya can't change that.' Shinji softly replied.

'What's the use of thinking about the 'ifs'?'

'Are you telling me to forget her then?! To just move on like nothing happened and happily continue on?' Isshin raised his voice, snapping angrily at Shinji. Deep down, he understood that Shinji wanted to lessen his pain, wanted to give him some support. But Isshin couldn't help himself. Others just did not understand. In his long life as a Shinigami, and subsequently as a human, he had never met someone like Masaki and loved anyone so deeply.

'No. I'm telling ya to remember her wishes and move on.' Shinji held Isshin's gaze, steadily looking at him with similar intensity.

Shinji's clear and firm words cut through Isshin's raging train of thoughts, calming his turbulent mind, allowing for a long-forgotten memory to resurface.

…

 _After finishing the bedtime story and ensuring that Yuzu, Karin and Ichigo was soundly asleep, Masaki and Isshin tip-toed out of the room. Yet another ordinary day, Isshin thought as he yawned._

 _All of a sudden, Masaki grabbed his hand. Isshin gave her a look of bewilderment but Masaki responded by placing a finger on her lips, signalling Isshin to be quiet before leading him out of the house._

 _Once outside, Masaki skipped over to a brick wall just opposite their house. She stood in front of it, hands behind her back, rocking to and fro slightly and glanced back at Isshin with anticipation. Isshin smiled, immediately understanding what Masaki wanted him to do. He gently placed his hands on her hips, and with surprising ease, lifted her from the ground and tenderly placed her on top of the wall. Excitedly, Masaki stood up on the wall. With her eyes closed and her arms outstretched, she walked on the narrow breadth of the wall, sighing contently as a breeze came by._

 _Isshin followed behind closely. Although he knew Masaki had an amazing sense of balance, he did not want to take any chances. No matter how much time had passed, Masaki still retained her child-like innocence, finding beauty and excitement in the simplest of things._

 _Without warning, Masaki twirled around, facing Isshin and jumped into his arms, burying her head into Isshin's chest._

 _'Isshin, thank you for everything. It's because of you that I can live a normal life and have three beautiful children. Everything I ever wanted… It's all complete now. It may not be much but all I want to do now is watch our children grow up into respectable people and…'_

 _Masaki leaned in and gave Isshin a peck on the cheek_

 _'To grow old together with you happily.'_

…

Isshin slumped down against the grave, as if his legs had turned to jelly.

'I may not know Masaki-san as well as you did, but I think that she would've wanted you to be happy. Heck, what would she say if she saw ya moping around like this?'

'She would slap me and tell me not to waste my life as there is so much to live for, to enjoy and… to love.' Isshin answered, giving a rueful smile as he gently caressed his cheek, as though Masaki had slapped him.

'Yer look like shit, ya know.'

Isshin gave a hearty laugh (a genuine one, Shinji noted). 'Well, when you are a single father with 3 kids, life gets pretty shitty.'

'3 kids? Looks like ya and Masaki-san were busy.' Shinji gave a wide smile.

Isshin smirked. 'Jealous?'

'Far from that, old man.' Shinji replied indignantly.

Just as Isshin was about to retort, a sudden wave of realization hit Isshin. Although it's been nearly a decade since they first met, Jishin still looked rather youthful. In fact… it seemed like his appearance hardly changed, save for his fashion style.

'Hey, I ain't good at mushy stuff but, if yer need a listening ear, yer can always find me.' Shinji gave a brief glance at Isshin before quickly looking away in mild embarrassment.

Isshin smiled.

A sudden breeze rustled the leaves on the trees, causing some to fall. The fallen leaves swirled around, dancing playfully in the wind as they descended on Masaki's grave. Wordlessly, both Isshin and Shinji looked up, admiring the simple display, just as Kurosaki Masaki would have done.

Suddenly a jarring jazzy ringtone disturbed the peace, startling both Isshin and Shinji. Apologetically, Shinji hurriedly answered the phone.

'YA BAKA! WHERE ARE YER? YA BETTER NOT BE THINKING YA CAN DUMP CLEANING DUTY ASSHOLE! YA BETTER COME BACK RIGHT—'

Shinji quickly ended the call, before Hiyori started spewing out vulgarities, only to see Isshin trying his best to stifle his laugh.

'I gotta go, see ya!' Shinji beat a hasty retreat and by the time Isshin turned around to say goodbye, he was gone.

 _Heh, he didn't even tell me how I could find him._

Kurosaki Isshin leaned back against a nearby tree, allowing himself to indulge in what he resolved would be one of the last times he would visit Masaki alone.

…

 _The door to his room opened, causing light to flood into the room. Shinji shielded his eyes, squinting against the light to make out the figures in his doorway._

 _'You guys, why are y'all here?' Shinji said as he stood up, pretending that he had not been crouching in the corner of his room just a moment ago._

 _The 7 other Visoreds shifted uncomfortably, clearly having something they needed to say._

 _'What's with those grim expressions? Don't tell me y'all are constipated or something.' Shinji jokingly asked, forcing himself to give them a smile._

 _'…Stop that, baldy.' Hiyori muttered._

 _'Eh? Whatcha talkin' about?' The smile was still plastered on his face._

 _'I said, STOP ACTIN' LIKE EVERYTHING IS OKAY!' Hiyori yelled as she dashed towards him, knocking him over, resulting in Hiyori ending up on top of Shinji._

 _'IT. AIN'T. YOUR. GODDAMN. FAULT.'_

 _After each word, Hiyori punched his abdomen once, as in wanting to drive home the point. After finishing her sentence, Hiyori stood up in a huff and strutted off to join back with the rest of the Visoreds. However, just before Hiyori turned away from Shinji, he swore that he spotted tears in Hiyori's eyes._

 _'Hiyori-chan is right, Shin-chan. None of us blame you for this.' Mashiro said in a concerned tone._

 _'It's Aizen's fault that we are here.' Kensei spat._

 _'Don't try and be some tragic hero. We aren't that weak to need to be protected by you.' Lisa scoffed, folding her arms and leaning against the door, trying her best to look unconcerned._

 _'We are all victims in this, none no more responsible than the other.' Hachigen solemnly said._

 _'It's not in your nature to be tied down by such things, so abandon those foolish thoughts!' With a dramatic flick of his hair, Rose added._

 _'Yeah, we got to move forward and train so that when we see that bastard again, we can mow him down!' Love helped Shinji off the floor._

 _Shinji cast a glance at the Visoreds, letting his gaze linger on each of them in turn. Seeing them gathered all together made him reminisce. Originally, they were a bunch of misfits, quarrelling and bickering at every turn. It had caused him so much blood, sweat and tears just to get them to sit in the same room. Now, they were akin to family, having gone through hell together and back. Even though Shinji had maintained an almost flawless façade, in the end, he was seen through by them._

 _Shinji gave a smile._

 _'Thanks, guys.'_

…

It was a small first step, but the first step is always the hardest to take.

* * *

To be honest, I had mixed feelings about this chapter. I really wanted to portray a poignant, emotional moment between the two but, I felt that I fell short of my expectations. I actually considered just scrapping this entire chapter and moving on to the next, but it would be too much of a waste not to utilise Isshin's and Shinji's experiences which can serve to deepen their bond and friendship and without this chapter, their relationship would be a lot more superficial. I guess such 'emotional' genres are not my forte (although I'm not sure what my forte actually is xD) but oh well, it was worth a try! Next chapter, however, would be a lot more light-hearted and action so do look forward to it!:)

Once again, reviews are very much appreciated! Criticisms are welcomed too, especially what you think could have been improved and such, thank you for reading!


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you for the reviews, favs and follows!~**

I wanted to put this in chp 2 but I forgot whoops!

Timeline

101 years before present day events: Shinji and gang get hollowfied

20 years before: Masaki meets Isshin

19 years before: set up Kurosaki clinic

\- events of chp 1

15 years before: Ichigo is born

6 years before: Masaki dies (Ichigo is 9 years old)

5 years before:

\- events of chp 2

Present day: ie. Ichigo meets Rukia

4 months later: Shinji invites Ichigo to join the Visoreds

\- events of chp 3

* * *

Chapter 3

Shinji resisted the urge to groan as he watched the disappearing figure of a certain orange-haired Shinigami with a gigantic cleaver-sword hybrid strapped to his back. Resigned, he sat down on the roof that they were previously sparring on, squinting into the distance until he could no longer see the teenager. He sighed, scratching his head idly, thinking of ways to persuade the boy to join. Sure, he could just lay out everything and explain who the Visoreds really were and what they aimed to do but Shinji figured that it would simply be too much trouble. Anyways, he could see it in the boy's eyes; he was desperate, scared and aware of what the Hollow could and will do. It was only a matter of time before he sought for help and Shinji would just need to egg him along in doing just that.

However for now, that brat was as stubborn as a mule and even had the audacity to run off without listening to the monologue that Shinji had painstakingly prepared. Shinji took out his phone, dialling the Visored home base, only to be greeted by a screaming Hiyori. After updating her, he immediately ended the call and tucked it back into his pocket. There was still something he needed to tend to.

Closing his eyes, he concentrated. The massive Hollow reiatsu had disappeared, most probably vanquished by the unknown Shinigami whose reiatsu he had felt during the conversation with Kurosaki Ichigo. Who was he? Aside from the weak and pathetic Shinigami in charge of Karakura Town (Zennosuke something?), the only other Shinigamis that were currently in Karakura Town was Urahara, Yoruchi, Tessai and the other Visoreds. Not only that, the spiritual pressure he sensed was not that of just a regular Shinigami, it was that of a highly ranked one. Shinji considered confronting the Shinigami but decided that he had enough trouble dealing with Ichigo alone and it was simply worth too much hassle. He picked up his sword, twirling it around before sheathing it and started the walk back to the Visored base.

…

'So how does it feel...? To take the form of a Shinigami that you abandoned 20 years ago?' Urahara asked as he approached the Shinigami.

'So-so' Isshin Kurosaki said nonchalantly. In truth, he was exhilarated. The adrenaline pumping through his veins, the steady hum of his zanpaktou and the soothing feeling of the black kimono hugging his skin. He didn't even realize that he had missed being in Shinigami form so much.

'Is your heart... free of guilt now?' Urahara carefully asked, gesturing to the empty space where the Hollow, Grand Fisher had been.

'Somewhat... Truth is... I never hated him.' Once upon a time, Isshin thought that seeing his wife's killer would have caused him to boil with rage; heck, he had even devised various means and ways to slowly kill the Hollow for retribution. However, a certain individual had helped change his perspective, encouraging him to move forward instead of dwelling on the past. As a result, during the fight against Grand Fisher, Isshin felt oddly at peace, he knew the pure-hearted Masaki would not have wanted him to have revenge on her behalf and he had instead, given the Hollow a quick death and thus purification.

'If there was something that I haven't been able to get over during these past 20 years, it was my... inability to save Masaki that night.' Isshin said. However, instead of those downcast eyes that Urahara were accustomed to 20 years ago, his eyes were resolute and determined. Urahara gave a little smile; it seemed like Shinji's words had an impact on him that night.

'You really resemble your son with that attitude.' Urahara commented, and was immediately met with a grimace and a strong 'Hell no!' from Isshin.

'Speaking of which, it seems like the Visored has made contact with him.' Urahara continued casually, sneaking a glance at Isshin.

Isshin's expression immediately hardened. 'That criminal group of exiles who used forbidden means to acquire the power of Hollows huh?' He spat in disgust. Urahara observed him passively. It was no surprise that Isshin viewed the Visoreds in that way, after all, during his tenure as a Shinigami captain, the Central 46 had often warned the captains about the Visoreds and the despicable acts that they had supposedly done. Additionally, as a Shinigami, it was simply unthinkable for one to even willingly consider merging with the very entity that he was supposed to vanquish. At least his son, who by pure bad luck and circumstances gained a Hollow (although one could say that, that too was the work of Urahara Kisuke), was clearly an unwilling and unsuspecting party.

Urahara could never find the right opportunity to tell Isshin about the real truth behind the Visoreds. For starters, he did not want to lose the trust Isshin had in him. Telling him about the Visored's story also meant talking about his own involvement in the Hollowfication process, something that Urahara still could not really forgive himself for and is up till now, still searching for a solution to reverse the Hollowfication. Another thing was that the Visoreds themselves were not willing to share their story with any Shinigami, as they felt that there was little chance of anyone believing them. After all, even their fellow Shinigamis whom they worked, drank and worked with had not trusted them enough to protest or oppose Central 46's decision to execute them as Hollows. Either way, Urahara was in a bind.

'Hmm, I think a spar would be good to assess their strength. After all, if my idiot son is going to be trained by them, I should test them first.' Isshin suddenly spoke. Urahara froze.

He could not even bear to think what would happen. If Isshin found out that 'Jishin-san' was actually Hirako Shinji, the former 5th division captain and the de-facto leader of the Visored that he so disliked, the friendship between the two had a high possibility of being fractured.

'Kurosaki-san, I do not think it is necessary. The Visoreds will be our allies in the upcoming fight against Aizen-san and his forces. It will not be wise to create tension between us and them.'

Isshin gave a pout, folding his arms, just like a little kid.

'Well then if I just conceal my identity, no one would know anyway, right?' He stubbornly insisted. Urahara sighed good-naturedly, both Isshin and Ichigo were indeed similar; once they had set their minds to something, they could not be swayed.

'If so… How about this…' Urahara gave a resigned sigh and conceded.

…

Shinji sensed a spiritual pressure, a muted signal following behind him, gaining some distance and steadily getting closer. He recognized it as the one that had been with the Hollow.

'Shit, I'm bein' followed heh?' Shinji muttered. Immediately, he took a right turn, deviating from his original course in order to prevent the stranger from knowing where the Visored's base was.

Shinji ran through several scenarios in his head. No matter what, he had been spotted. If he fought back or ran, it would make no difference. His presence as a rogue Shinigami would be known. In ordinary situations, a platoon of Shinigami would then be dispatched; the number of seated officers in the platoon would be decided based on the estimated skill level of the rogue Shinigami. But… Soul Society was not in a normal state of affairs now. With the threat of Aizen and his Arrancars, they were already stretched thin. If a rogue Shinigami who possessed a high skill level but is yet not of as an immediate threat as Aizen, he reasoned that it would be unlikely that Soul Society would risk weakening their defence to hunt him down; at least not until Aizen have been dealt with. Thus…

Shinji abruptly stopped and turned. He placed his hands over his face in a claw shape, before swiping down, causing a bone-white pharaoh-like mask to form. His purser likewise halted, sensing the dramatic change in reiatsu but after a few moments, he stepped out from the shadows, revealing himself to Shinji.

Shinji raised a questioning eyebrow as the Shinigami stepped into view; The latter was clad in a black cloak, obscuring most of his face. What Shinji's attention was drawn towards however, was that the Shinigami's reiatsu which was similar and even on par that of a captain.

The Shinigami took the first step, withdrawing his sword and charged towards Shinji, resulting in Shinji whipping out his own zanpaktou and blocking. They both exchanged a flurry of blows, zanpaktous clinking away as they attacked, dodged, countered and flash stepped. To a casual onlooker, the fight would have seemed intense and evenly matched, however to an experienced eye, it was evident that the two were simply testing the other, assessing their opponent's skill and reflexes.

Shinji swung down hard, putting his strength this time, overpowering and causing the Shinigami to falter a little. However, before Shinji could take advantage of the opening, he lifted a hand off the sword and pointed at the Visored.

'Hadou 4, Byakurai!'

'Tch.' Shinji flipped over the Shinigami's head, avoiding the streak of white lightning which narrowly flashed past him. The Shinigami immediately swiped upwards with his sword, causing Shinji to counter it. Using the recoil, he jumped backwards, ending up a fair bit of distance away.

 _He ain't half bad eh? Looks like I gotta up it a bit…_ Shinji thought, mildly surprised by his opponent's skill.

The two faced each other silently, as if pausing to give quiet acknowledgement and respect of the other's abilities, before the two charged. Just before their swords clashed, Shinji shunpo-ed, appearing above the Shinigami and using his sword, swiped at his mask. The latter flash stepped backwards in the nick of time, preventing his identity from being revealed.

As soon as his opponent moved backwards, Shinji raised his hand and curled it into a fist. Streaks of crimson spiritual pressure appeared, which were immediately drawn to Shinji's fist, resulting in an intimidating, glowing red Cero forming.

 **-Isshin's POV-**

Isshin stared in amazement at the Cero. Cero was after all a trait of Hollows and seeing a Shinigami use one was unheard of and even deemed impossible. He gritted his teeth and unflinchingly stood his ground as the concentrated, crimson ball of spiritual pressure increased in size before shooting towards him at blazing speed with a wide arc. He tightened his grip, staring resolutely at the incoming Cero and swung down with all his might while simultaneously flaring his reiatsu. His sword connected with the dense spiritual pressure, causing the Cero to split. After what seemed like almost an eternity, the Cero finally dissipated, leaving a panting Isshin, struggling to catch his breath. However, before he could recover, Isshin saw a flash of yellow from the corner of his eye. He tried to will his sluggish body to deflect it away from him but was too slow as several yellow ropes wrapped around his body, binding his arms to his torso and immobilising him.

 _A bakudo 63, Sajo Sabaku (Winding Binding Chains)._ Isshin thought as he fell due to the binding spell. Isshin silently groaned inside his head as he saw the distance between himself and the ground closing in.

Suddenly, the masked Shinigami appeared between him and the ground. Isshin cursed under his breath and struggled, trying his best to break out of the seal but to no avail. Resigned, he braced himself, preparing for the Visored to slash him.

 _Shit, this is going to hurt._

'Bakudo 37, Tsuriboshi (Suspending Star).' The Visored uttered, pointing to a space below Isshin. A star shaped cushion immediately materialized. The five edges of the star extended and attached to the nearby buildings, forming a suspended safety net, resulting in Isshin falling on the cushion instead.

The masked Shinigami lingered for a few moments, as if confirming the safety of his opponent before flash stepping away.

Isshin watched the retreating figure of the Visored as he slowly worked his way through the seal, releasing himself from the binding. He then crossed his legs and placed his hands behind his head, enjoying the makeshift hammock as he pondered about the spar.

Excellent swordsmanship, proficient use of Kido, monstrous reiatsu. In those few minutes, the masked Shinigami had been able to formulate a plan. It seemed simple enough, however, the extent to which he had accounted and planned made him formidable. And although Isshin hated to admit it, the Visored had bested him (but, considering Isshin was not at his best since he had just recovered his Shinigami powers); He had not expected the masked Shinigami to use his Cero as a distraction for a binding spell, effectively sealing his movements and ending the spar.

What confounded Isshin however was the fact that the Visored had casted a Bakudo to stop Isshin's fall. Try as he might, he could not think of any ulterior motives that the masked Shinigami could have. The only conclusion that Isshin could draw was that what the Visored had done was simply out of good will, which only confused him further. After all, during his time in the Gotei 13, the Visored were described as reclusive, power-hungry and merciless. However, what he had just experienced directly contradicted everything he had been told about them. He sighed and scratched his head idly as he mulled over the scarce facts about the Visored and ran through their identities mentally.

 _Rojuro Otoribashi, Hachigen Ushoda, Hirako Shinji, Mashiro Kuna, Love Aikawa, Hiyori Sarugaki, Lisa Yadomaru, Kensei Muguruma._

 _Hirako Shinji_. Somehow, Isshin a nagging sensation of familiarity when he thought about that particular name.

'Kurosaki-san! It seems as if your son is going back home now, you should hurry!' Urahara's voice came from a transceiver inside the coat, startling Isshin out of his thoughts. Isshin gave a huge sigh; that idiot son of his was always picking the wrong time to return home early.

Isshin leapt down from the Kido safety net, sheathing his sword and started the walk back home.

* * *

In the canon, I always wondered why the way Isshin and Urahara talked about the Visoreds, they made it seem like the Visoreds were bad guys and that they willingly took Hollow powers for themselves. Well, I guess here's my version of it?

I know the ending is a bit abrupt (sorry!) but I didn't want to drag this for too long. Anyways hope you enjoyed the chapter and do look forward to the next one and leave a review!


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